SMAD4 and hepatocellular carcinoma: This notion is reinforced by previous studies showing that TGF-β upregulates TAGLN2 expression in human adipocytes (33), promotes Smad4-dependent vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (34), and directly activates TAGLN2 transcription via the TGF-β/Smad4 pathway in colon cancer cells (35).